Bobby Bowden, a former Florida State football coach who is a member of the College Football Hall of Fame, has tested positive for COVID-19, according to the Tallahassee Democrat. The two-time national champion coach said he was diagnosed with the virus the day after he was released from a local hospital last weekend where he was being treated for a leg infection. Bowden, who will turn 91 next month, told the Democrat he feels fine and not experiencing any symptoms.
“I don’t feel bad, yet,” Bowden said. “I guess I can loaf around the rest of the week. I just have to keep an eye out for (symptoms).” Bowden also said he’s the only person in his household who has tested positive for the coronavirus and is currently quarantined. Bowden’s wife Ann, daughter Robin and grandson Hunter are staying at the house. He will be retested on Monday.
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Bowden started his coaching career in 1954 at Howard (now called Samford) as an assistant coach. He became the head coach at South Georgia State College in 1956 and spent three seasons there before going back to being an assistant coach at Howard, Florida State and West Virginia. Bowden was named West Virginia’s head coach in 1970 and won 42 games in six seasons. He then was hired as Florida’s State’s head coach in 1976 and made the program into a national power. In Bowden’s second season as the head coach for the Seminoles, he led the team to a 10-2 record and a win in the Tangerine Bowl. The team went on to have back-to-back 10-win seasons in 1979 and 1980 and played in the Orange Bowl both seasons.
In 1993, Bowden made history as he led the Seminoles to their first national title win. He was able to win his second national title in 1999 after the team posted a 12-0 record including a Sugar Bowl win. Bowden was the head coach for Florida State until the end of the 2009 season. In his 30-plus years at FSU, Bowden posted a 304-97-4 record. Bowden’s sons also go into coaching. Tommy Bowden was the head coach at Clemson while Terry Bowden was the head coach and Auburn and was named Coach of the Year in 1993. Jeff Bowden was an offensive coordinator at Florida State.
